I am so glad you asked! We spent Wednesday night exploring those two questions. We began by watching a section of the Rob Bell video Everything is Spiritual. If you get a chance watch the whole talk but for time constraints we watched a small clip. In it Rob speaks of how human beings are the only thing in creation that is 100% physical and 100% spiritual and that the Jewish people had no concept of the modern idea of a spiritual life because to label one thing in life as spiritual is to label another thing in life not-spiritual. For the Hebrew people just being human makes you spiritual. Rob points out that the question is not if you are a spiritual person but if your eyes are open to it.
Colossians 3:17 “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”
“I’m not religious, but I’m a very spiritual person. This, of course, is a somewhat misleading statement, for religion is simply human beings’ attempts to sort out the ways in which we seek after God.” The Sacred Way Pg 26
There are several definitions of spirituality (all of these come from the book The Sacred Way)
“Christian spirituality concerns the quest for a fulfilled and authentic Christian existence, involving the bringing together of the fundamental ideas of Christianity and the whole experience of living on the basis of and within the scope of the Christian faith.” Alister Mcgrath
“The spiritual life is simply increasing vitality and sway of God’s Spirit in us.” Marjorie Thompson
“The practice of the presence of God.” Brother Lawrence
“The goal of Christian spirituality is to be enlivened by God’s Spirit.” Tony Jones
The meaning behind the Hebrew (ruach), Greek (pneuma), & Latin (Spiritus) include “spirit/breath/wind” Jesus says in John 3, ““The wind (pneuma) blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going.”
The point is that God at the beginning breathed the Divine spirit in all of us. It is not for us to manipulate or decide where it goes but the Divine spark in all of us is a gift. All people have a longing for the Divine because God created us with his Spirit. Those who in their longing give their life to Jesus receive the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is only possible to dwell in our hearts when we acknowledge Jesus as Lord but God is never far from those who have yet decided to acknowledge Jesus as Lord.
Why practice the presence of God? As a group we looked up a number of scriptures to try to answer this question.
Deuteronomy 6:4-6
1 Chronicles 22:18-19
Psalm 95:6
Matthew 6:5-15
Matthew 14:23
Mark 1:35
Luke 5:15-16
John 3:30
Acts 2:42-47
Romans 12:2
Hebrews 10:19-25
1 Peter 4:8-11
Take some time and explore each of these to see some reasons for why we desire to practice the presence of God.
“You can listen to innumerable sermons and read countless books, but the true transformation happens only when you practice the disciplines that lie at the heart of faith. As the disciplines are practiced, your life becomes more attuned to God’s life, and you become more “at one” with the rhythms of creation.” The Sacred Way Pg 31
There is just something unique and powerful when we allow God to speak directly to us.
“In the spiritual life, the word “discipline” means “the effort to create some space in which God can act.” Discipline means to prevent everything in your life from being filled up. Discipline means that somewhere you’re not occupied, and certainly not preoccupied. In the spiritual life, discipline means to create that space in which something can happen that you hadn’t planned or counted on.” Henri Nouwen
Matthew 7:7-11
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; those who seek find; and to those who knock, the door will be opened. “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!
As we begin next week practicing these disciplines there are these three questions to ponder.
What are you seeking?
What things do you hope to receive?
What doors do you hope are opened?
As we seek, ask, & knock along our journey on this sacred way my prayer is we will find our Creator, we will receive the power of His presence, and the hope of doors opened by the love of the Father.
Peace,
Nate
